Improve Foot Health with Weight-Bearing Exercise

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You’ve heard the message so often: a sensible diet will help you maintain a moderate weight and reduce your risk of numerous illnesses, including Type 2 diabetes. But are you aware regular exercise is also a key element of lifetime foot health? Anne Arundel County podiatrists Dr. James M. McKee and Dr. Adam Weaver want you to know more!

Men and women of all ages– but particularly women over 65 – are at risk of osteoporosis, a dangerous weakening of the bones. People with osteoporosis experience more fractures than their healthy peers and, with 26 bones in each, your feet are especially vulnerable.

If you know about osteoporosis, you know diet is critical in its prevention. Be sure to eat a diet rich in the mineral calcium, which can protect bones and keep them strong. Where can you find calcium? Look for it in:

  • dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese

  • leafy green vegetables, including spinach and kale.

  • fish that are eaten whole with their bones intact, such as anchovies and sardines

Diet isn’t the only thing you can do to keep yourself safe from osteoporosis. Exercise, particularly weight-bearing exercise, is important, too. Many people have a hard time with this advice, wondering if it means they’ve got to head to the gym and start lifting dumbbells, and the answer is an emphatic no! Sure, you can do that if you want to, but any exercise in which you support your body weight counts, too. Try gentle yoga or tai chi class, which may also help improve balance and increase flexibility. Take a walk with a pet or a friend. You might enjoy getting outside in the sunshine, which provides vitamin D, and you might even experience a boost in mood.

Along with exercise, you can take care of your feet, ankles, and lower legs by scheduling a visit with your foot doctor. With years of specialized training and experience, a podiatrist like James M. McKee, DPM, FACFAS, and Adam Weaver, DPM is a medical expert and the best-qualified doctor to care for this part of your body. Call the friendly Podiatry Group of Annapolis, P.A. staff at 410-224-4448 or click here for a convenient appointment in our comfortable office on Old Solomons Island Road today.

Foot and Ankle Health, foot care tips, senior foot care, osteoporosisPodiatry Group of Annapolisfoot health, exercise, senior foot care, diabetes, Osteoporosis, diet